County Council Corner: Nomadic Council this Summer

By Ingrid Gabriel, Clerk to the San Juan County Council

The Council has been more nomadic than usual during these last days of summer starting with a meeting on Lopez for the new skate park dedication on August 17, followed by Council meetings on Orcas August 19, Shaw August 20 and back to Friday Harbor August 26.  Meeting away from the County seat brought up two questions from constituents who rely on live-streaming from the legislative hearing room to keep current with local government.  They asked how they can stay informed when the remote meetings are not videoed and if meeting away from the hearing room is even necessary.

To the first question, we do make audio recordings of meetings away from the hearing room and those are available to the public by request.  We can easily transfer an audio file to a flash drive, but don’t have a convenient way to upload the Mp3 audio file on-line at present.  There are, of course, minutes of each meeting that record the Council’s actions.  And, the good news on the tech front is that we are exploring the new generation of video recording widgets.  Our old video camcorder required a fully-dedicated person to lug the equipment along, set it up and act as the videographer.  The results were generally dismal and weren’t compatible with uploading in any case.  But, that is all likely to change over the next few months as we consider a variety of tablet and camera recording options.

As to the second question, Boards and Councils in other Washington rural counties have a similar practice of meeting away from the County seat.  It allows issues of local interest, such as the Orcas Recycling Services Agreement, to be discussed and decided with the affected citizens present.  Meeting “around the County” gives folks who would not otherwise be able to attend a meeting the opportunity to voice their concerns directly to their elected leaders.  Likewise, it affords the Council a chance to gain a broader perspective of the needs and viewpoints of the entire community.  It’s a win-win.

While the Labor Day week has been meeting-free and quiet, the previous couple of weeks had been busy for the Council and the trend will likely continue throughout the rest of the year.

During the meeting of August 19 on Orcas, the long-awaited agreement for Solid Waste Handling and Recycling Services at the Orcas Island Solid Waste Facility was signed.

 Council Vice-Chair Rick Hughes and Sheriff Rob Nou introduced the drug take-back initiative to Shaw Islanders at the August 20th meeting.  And on August 26, the Council thanked retiring Toni Bailey (long-time assistant to the Prosecuting Attorney) for her dedicated service (we miss her already).

On August 21, the Council toured the County facilities on Lopez including Public Works projects, the parks and Land Bank properties.

Jamie met with Mark Daly, the Interim Director of the Puget Sound Partnership and hopes to schedule a future presentation to the Council.  He also acknowledged Shaun O’Day of Skatelite in working with the community to provide both the equipment and the labor in excess of $75,000 for a new skate park.  Jamie toured with Marcia de Chadenedes, the acting manager of the San Juan Islands National Monument, and attended meetings of the Marine Resources Committee and North Sound Mental Health Board.  Additionally, he attended an Accountability Oversight Committee meeting in Friday Harbor, met with Representative Larsen (with the rest of the Council) for a tour of the Cattle Point realignment project and participated in the Lopez Island Conservation Corps end-of-summer awards.

Bob is assisting IT Manager Stan[Matthews] in evaluating and potentially replacing the antiquated County telephone system and making sure that it is compatible with the Sheriff’s  dispatch 911 center.  This will move the system out of a proprietary contract and save the County approximately $12k per year in maintenance contracts.  He met with the Buck family to discuss the status of the Pear Point/Turn Point Connector Road and attended the Northwest Regional Council meeting in Mt. Vernon.   Bob [Jarman] also attended the Town of Friday Harbor’s Council meeting where plans for a joint Town and County meeting were discussed.

Rick [Hughes] attended a meeting to consider the economic feasibility of lumber use in the County and facilitated delivery of a prescription drug drop-off box on Shaw.  When meeting with Representative Larsen, Rick [Hughes] addressed the funding for both broadband on the ferries and a second car off-loading dock in Friday Harbor.

Looking ahead, the County is entering into the 2014 Preliminary Budget cycle and the Council will be hearing presentations and recommendations throughout September.  The findings of the Growth Management Hearing Board are due shortly, and future agendas are likely to be heavy with items related to the CAO.  The Council has scheduled an update on the I-502 Initiative (on marijuana reform) with Sheriff Nou and Prosecutor Gaylord for the Tuesday, September 24 meeting.

In miscellaneous riveting news, I went on vacation and the office plants survived my absence. County Manager Mike {Thomas] got a new chair in the hearing room.